[KaVir]

The vast majority of the people posting in this thread want the four-choice change, including all of the (non-admin) players who have posted. Some people want even more options, but you (and your fellow staff member) are the only people opposed to any change.

No examples have yet been given of a mud which doesn't clearly fall into the four categories.

If each server is separate from the others so that you cannot move between them, then each is a different game and should be listed as such - in the same way that half a dozen people running clones of the same mud wouldn't be expected to share a single TMS listing.

If you can move between the servers then, while you could still play for free, purchases made on a commercial server would still impact your gameplay. The listing would therefore be:

[ ] Payment and/or donations required to play.
[X] Payment and/or donations accepted, has results in-game.
[ ] Payment and/or donations accepted, no results in-game.
[ ] Neither payment nor donations accepted.

TEXT BOX: Multiple interconnected servers, some free, others with payment required or pay-for-perks.

[ ] Payment and/or donations required to play.
[ ] Payment and/or donations accepted, has results in-game.
[X] Payment and/or donations accepted, no results in-game.
[ ] Neither payment nor donations accepted.

TEXT BOX: You can purchase mugs, t-shirts and mouse mats from the website.

The mud is still earning money for in-game benfits, regardless of whether they hire someone to handle the sales directly, or licence those sales to a third party. The mud has a vested financial interest in players making purchases, and this is going to be reflected in the gameplay.

[ ] Payment and/or donations required to play.
[X] Payment and/or donations accepted, has results in-game.
[ ] Payment and/or donations accepted, no results in-game.
[ ] Neither payment nor donations accepted.

TEXT BOX: Can purchase gold and items through a licenced third party.

They accept payment for in-game advertising so, just like the muds that give you a cosmetic title for making donations, you'd fall into the second catagory:

[ ] Payment and/or donations required to play.
[X] Payment and/or donations accepted, has results in-game.
[ ] Payment and/or donations accepted, no results in-game.
[ ] Neither payment nor donations accepted.

TEXT BOX: Sells in-game advertising.

The same is true for the purely selfish reasons that motivate some admin to push against listing changes. That's why I think it's particularly important to look at this as objectively as possible, and listen to the few players who post here.

If I were motived by personal gain, I would have pushed for your two-option distraction, as it would be far more beneficial for my mud than the four-option proposal.

I think you're forgetting that the four-choice proposal was made by Lasher. But to put your complaint in perspective, about 300 posts after Lasher made his proposal another individual stated:

"The way that you presently market your game cheapens the way we use 'free' in our advertising. We both know there is a difference, but you're arguing for a system that suppresses that difference, and that is my business."

There's no getting around the fact that you are arguing for a system that allows you to suppress the difference between payment models. As a pay-for-perks mud, it's equally clear that you have a strong motive for suppressing that difference.

So in summary, I actually agree with your text I quoted above, although not in the context it was posted. I think it would be a great shame for Lasher to discard his own proposal, particularly after it's gained the favour of so many posters, simply because of the selfish motives of a single mud.